Queensland churchgoers of all faiths overwhelmingly support the introduction of voluntary assisted dying laws, new research commissioned by euthanasia advocates shows.
The Queensland law reform commission is drafting voluntary assisted dying laws that will be presented to the next government, after the October election.
Groups on both sides of the debate have begun to raise awareness about candidates’ views before the election, in anticipation of a parliamentary debate next year and MPs being granted a conscience vote on any resulting bill.
Some church leaders and groups – most notably the Catholic archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge – have been vocal opponents of any euthanasia push in Queensland.
But new polling – conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the Clem Jones Trust – indicates the views of leading church figures are out of step with members of their congregations.
The polling from February found 77% of Queenslanders supported laws that would allow voluntary assisted dying, in circumstances where a person in the late stages of an advanced disease was able to take life-ending medication prescribed by a doctor.
Another 12% said they were unsure, while 11% opposed any such reforms.
The polling also showed similar levels of support across the spectrum.
It found 68% of people who identified as Catholic supported voluntary assisted dying; 79% of Anglicans; 83% of members of the Uniting church and Presbyterians; 57% of “other Christians”; and 72% of people from non-Christian religions.
Even among those who said they were practising Catholics, the poll found 60% support for voluntary assisted dying laws.
David Muir, the chair of the Clem Jones Trust, which is campaigning in favour of new laws, said he expected anti-VAD campaigns to attempt to erode the strong community support.
“We can expect a lot of scare tactics and the usual misleading claims from church leaders who claim to speak on behalf of their congregation but clearly do not,” Muir said.
“It’s quite clear that those speaking from the pulpit against voluntary assisted dying are not reflecting the views of those sitting in the pews in front of them.”
Muir said the proposed laws would work to give individuals the ability to choose the timing of their death.
“Voluntary assisted dying is just that – voluntary. So the position of any church or other opponent can be accommodated in full in any new Queensland laws. Just as it is in laws in Victoria and Western Australia and around the world.
“But they should not use their personal beliefs to prevent others from choosing VAD, which is the main argument of church leaders. Other arguments they raise have been dismissed by inquiries here and abroad.”
Coleridge has said that euthanasia undermines “the foundational values of society”.
The fate of the draft legislation remains unclear before the election. Both Labor and the LNP have promised to grant MPs a conscience vote, but the LNP remains opposed to any new laws in its party platform and has not said whether it would bring a proposal to the next parliament, should it win government.
Guardian Australia revealed last month that LNP members had been discouraged from voicing an opinion on the matter, and had given pro-forma responses that were largely non-committal.
Muir said he expected legislation to go before the parliament “as soon as possible” after the Law Reform Commission reports in March, if Labor was in government.
“Unfortunately, the alternative government, the Liberal National party, has not made its intentions clear on what it would do with a draft bill,” Muir said. “I have written to opposition leader Deb Frecklington in an effort to clarify her position.”
Frecklington told Guardian Australia via a spokesman last month: “We will await the report by the Law Reform Commission but there is no legislation to examine right now.
“Labor put this process in place and we are disappointed that the Palaszczuk government hasn’t progressed a much-needed overhaul of palliative care.”
